Places/Localities

Populated Places

Cities

Census Designations

Resources

African American

1808-1868 Minutes Flint River Baptist Church [Madison] Alabama. Microfilmed by Historical Commission Southern Baptist Convention, Nashville, Tenn. FHL US/CAN Film 984,179. At the beginning of this it states that there is a list [1850] of African Americans at the back. It is of note however, African-Americans are noted throughout the 1808-1868 volume.

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Alabama denominations, view the Alabama Church Records wiki page.

Baptist

[1808-1868] Minutes Flint River Baptist Church [Madison] Alabama. Microfilmed by Historical Commission Southern Baptist Convention, Nashville, Tenn. FHL US/CAN Film 984,179. In 1821 members living near the Big Spring in Ashberns Cove joined the jurisdiction of Flint River Baptist Church. And in 1833 the church included members that lived on Clear Creek.[3].

[1831-1844] “Commissioner Court Minutes, 1832” Valley Leaves Huntsville, Alabama. Vol 23 Issue 4. Abstracted minutes from page 1 of 1831 to May 1844. These minutes mention the names of those caring for paupers, as well as the paupers names (including orphans)-- along with the usual things like roads. FHL US/CAN Book 976.19 B2v.

This collection has two parts to it. First it contains the Chancery Court Case Files from 1841+ (Case No. 173+), and second, it contains the Circuit Court Divorce and Disputed Estate files from ca 1907+

Immigration

Land and Property

To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Madison county see:

Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Madison County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2009. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes free surname index. FHL Book 976.197 E7b.

"The original land office for Madison county, Mississippi Territory was established in Nashville, Tennessee on Mar 3, 1807 and was moved to Huntsville in 1811. In 1807 Thomas Freeman, Government Surveyor, was assigned to survey the the lands in the “Triangle” which became Madison Co., Mississippi Territory on Dec 13, 1808. A census of the inhabitants was taken by him in January 1809. Subsequently, acting as Registrar, he received the “squatters” applications to buy their land. After a fee was paid, permission was granted then to remain as “tenants at will” on their land with rights to purchase at auction at a Public Land Sale. This sale took place at Nashville in August 1809 and fee simple land titles were established. (Less than half of the men who made application appear in the Tract Book.)"[6]

There were no land grants given for military service in Madison county until after the Mexican War.[7]

Cowart, Margaret Matthews . Old land records of Madison County, Alabama. FHL US/CAN BOOK 976.197 R2c. See catalog for scope description. Has index and map of original "triangle" that was Madison county.

[1810-1819] Johnson, Dorothy Scott. Madison County, Alabama deed books A, B, C, D, E, 1810-1819 (territorial) : a synopsis of every instrument recorded in deed books A through E, which covers the period Madison County was a part of the Mississippi and Alabama territories from July, 1810 through November, 1819. (Huntsville, Alabama : Johnson Historical Publications (AL), c1976 ) FHL US/CAN Book 976.197 R2j.

[1810-1886] FHL has direct and reserve index on film. Also deed books on film.

It is recognized as the "birthplace" of Alabama,which was founded there on December 14 1819.

The economy of Madison county revolved mainly around agriculture, being recognized as one of the largest cotton-producing counties in the state. This all changed in 1950.

In 1950, a group of German rocket scientists, led by Wernher von Braun, came to Redstone Arsenal and developed, among others, the Redstone rocket, which was modified to launch the first two Americans into space.

Tens of thousands of jobs came to the area as a result of the Space Race.

Military

Civil War

Civil War service men from Madison County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Madison County.

Probate Records

Probate records are held by the Madison County, Alabama Genealogy Probate Court. Most records are housed at the Madison County, Alabama Genealogy Courthouse. Many records are on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Taxation

Alabama tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Alabama Taxation.

Vital Records

Birth

Marriage

To 1825Index to Marriages at Ancestry – ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.

1809-1843; 1853-1882"Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage records from the state. Researchers will find the names of both bride and groom along with the marriage date. The county where the ceremony was performed is also provided. Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.

Death

1881–1974Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry – ($); Index. Volunteers extracted the details in this index from microfilmed copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. details vary depending on the original record. Note that the number of available records can vary widely by county, and this database does not necessarily represent a comprehensive set of death records for the state during this time.